This Sunday marks the Super Bowl, aka “The Greatest Holiday Now That You Know Santa Claus Isn’t Real”. It narrowly edges out Thanksgiving for that title for two simple reasons: 1.) You aren’t required to spend it with your distant relatives and listen to your aunt rave about your cousin’s acceptance to Cal State, Chico while defending his brief stint in juvenile hall, and 2.) You are allowed to eat and drink just as much as you would on Turkey Day without the added trouble of using your finest dinnerware and having the unenviable task of cleanup duty after those same relatives play the “We Have To Get Back Home and Let the Dog Out” Card; paper plates and cups are encouraged! Still not convinced? Just be thankful you won’t be forced to watch the Lions for three hours. Yet, with the Super Bowl comes the inevitable Super Bowl party, which may have you saying, “Shoot, I know nothing about either of these teams, what will I talk about?” Fear not, the Vista has you covered with the ten most compelling storylines, subplots, and topics for discussion for Super Bowl XLIV.
1.) Manning vs. Brees
The two best quarterbacks in the league go head to head for the championship (The Round One game against the Ravens knocks Tom Brady out of the discussion for THIS year). Manning is one of the most consistent passers the game has ever seen, while Brees is one of the most accurate, and he also throws a deadly deep ball. Still, the edge has to go to Manning. He already has a ring and he has proven time and time again that if he gets the ball in the last two minutes of the game with a chance to win it for his team, he will find a way to make it happen. But a win for Brees can make the argument a lot more interesting.
2.) The “Post-Hurricane-Katrina” New Orleans Saints
Admit it, if you’re not a Colts fan already, you are rooting for the Saints in this one. That’s perfectly acceptable, especially when you consider that less than five years ago 80% of the city was under water. The Superdome became a shelter for those who lost their homes and needed a safe place to hide from the carnage. As the city began its rebuilding process, it clung to its football team for hope. In turn, the team brought in stud quarterback Drew Brees, who has put just as much effort into rebuilding the city as he has for rebuilding the team into one of the most high-powered offenses of all-time. Nothing would shout “We’re Back!” from the city of New Orleans like Brees hoisting the Lombardi Trophy over his head. Well that, plus the fact that Mardi Gras is a week and a half away, and you can bet the party will start early on Bourbon Street if the Saints come through. Hey, if anyone deserves a championship, it’s the city of New Orleans, and no one will blame you if you jump on their bandwagon for a week.
3.) First-Timers vs. Old-Timers
If that isn’t enough to make you root for the Saints, perhaps the fact that this is their first ever Super Bowl appearance is. Meanwhile, the Colts won just three years ago in arguably the most boring Super Bowl of the decade. The point is, no one likes rooting for the juggernaut, and the Colts’ eight straight playoff appearances has been the staple of consistency and success. On the other hand, the Saints have been a troubled franchise ever since their inception in 1967. Long before Hurricane Katrina, these were the fans who wore paper bags over their heads with “Ain’ts” written across the forehead. You will be hard-pressed to come across one thing about this Saints team that doesn’t make them the darling pick. This game has the feel of a playground fight when the bully takes on the kid who picks his nose, only that kid grew six inches and finally decided to stand up for himself. The best part? Peyton Manning seems to enjoy being in the phase of his career where he plays the bully, and you can be certain he will feed off this and exploit the Saints’ defense.
4.) Explosive Offenses vs. Underrated Defenses
You’ll hear all about how great these two offenses are, but the underlying story is the two defenses. The Saints have an “all-or-nothing” mentality on the defensive side of the ball, as seen in the NFC Championship game when they gave up 28 points to a talented Vikings offense, but forced five turnovers in the process. The Colts are fast and get to the passer in a hurry, but as the Jets showed in the first half of the AFC Championship Game, this leaves them susceptible to the big play, an area where the Saints thrive. Regardless, it should be a shootout so perhaps the best thing to do is follow the advice of the wise John Madden: “Whoever scores more points will win the game.”
5.) Pre-game and Halftime Entertainment…. and Kim Kardashian
Rihanna is one of the many stars performing during the pregame festivities. Carrie Underwood will sing the National Anthem, while Queen Latifah will sing “America the Beautiful”. And The Who, whose intro to “Baba O’Riley” ranks in the top 5 of “Music That Get You Ridiculously Excited”, will perform at halftime. And if skilled musicians isn’t your thing and talentless celebrities is? Kim Kardashian will be there to support her boyfriend, Reggie Bush.
6.) Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
The two most underrated sportscasters working today. They’ve been working together in the booth all season and their chemistry has shown over the past two rounds of the playoffs. Simms sees things that most other color guys would miss while they were too busy trying to say something clever and/or funny. Nantz is the epitome of calm and cool but his commentary always matches the energy of the game. This is the guy who makes golf fun to watch. Good broadcasters are difficult to come by these days, and you will be hard pressed to find anyone better than the two calling this year’s Super Bowl. And even if you don’t particularly like them, just be thankful you don’t have to listen to Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski stammer and make awkward jokes while comparing Peyton Manning to Mariano Rivera.
7.) The Archie Manning Dynamic
Peyton’s daddy was also the star quarterback of the New Orleans Saints way back when, and he is one of the most beloved athletes to ever come out of the city. You would hope his allegiances would lie with his son, but never underestimate the loyalty of one player to his team. Drew Brees could all but erase any memories that Saints’ fans still hold for their old quarterback with a victory over Peyton and the Colts.
8.) The Coaching Matchup
New Orleans’ Sean Payton is one of the best offensive minds in football right alongside Norv Turner (yes, THAT Norv Turner) but he has shown a tendency to let off the gas when his team has a lead, and with the best quarterback in the final two minutes of a game on the other sideline, this could potentially doom the Saints. Still, it’s hard not to root for the guy who once coached a British beer league football team. Meanwhile, Colts head coach Jim Caldwell will look to become the first coach in the history of the NFL to finish an entire season without blinking. It is unknown what he actually does during the games, and as far as anyone can tell this is Peyton Manning’s team. But Caldwell deserves credit for shoring up the Indy defense, and whether you agree or disagree with his decision to sacrifice a perfect season and rest his starters, the fact remains that he has yet to lose a game when they have played all four quarters. The Colts may not finish 19-0, but if they win the Super Bowl it will be hard to argue Caldwell’s effect on his football team.
9.) Pierre Garçon
The Haitian wide receiver had many relatives affected by the horrific earthquake that decimated the country just several weeks ago. While this story is compelling in itself, he is also becoming Manning’s favorite target. The Jets shut down Reggie Wayne in the Championship Round, and Garçon stepped up with 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. So if and when he gets in to the end zone on Sunday (and with the way he has been playing, it looks more like “when”) just know it will be a moment that is far more important than the game of football itself. And finally…
10.) The Commercials
There are no statistics to prove this, but approximately 31% of males and a whopping 89% of females watch the Super Bowl for this reason alone.
If all else fails, start talking about Brett Favre (even though his team isn’t in the game as a result of his boneheaded pass at the end of regulation, which should go down in history as “The Single Worst Pass in NFL History”), because even without his presence on the field, the Over/Under for mentions of his name during the broadcast is unofficially set at 2.5. Nevertheless, whether you are rooting for the Colts, the Saints, or simply watching the game for the commercials, you no longer have to worry about talking about Jersey Shore for the entire game to hide the fact that you really don’t know anything about the two teams on the field. Stay safe and enjoy “The Greatest Holiday Now That You Know Santa Claus Isn’t Real”.
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